In one aspect, this invention relates to the reactivation of supported platinum- and chlorine-containing catalysts for alkane (in particular, n-butane) isomerization. In another aspect, this invention relates to an alkane (in particular, n-butane) hydroisomerization process comprising the intermittent reactivation of the catalyst used therein.
Supported platinum catalysts are useful for the hydroisomerization of linear (normal) alkanes. These catalysts are subject to deactivation as a result of prolonged usage for a variety of reasons. In the case of n-butane and n-pentane hydroisomerization, for example, dimers and oligomers of these alkanes can be formed as by-products. These by-products tend to accumulate on the catalyst surface and cause a decrease in catalytic isomerization activity. This invention is directed to the removal of these by-products and possibly other catalyst poisons from used isomerization catalysts, thus substantially restoring the activity and prolonging the life of these catalysts.